Wednesday, 30 July 2025

Tsunami hits Russia’s Kuril Islands - Video

Tsunami hits Russia’s Kuril Islands - Video

Tsunami hits Russia’s Kuril Islands - Video










A tsunami wave struck the northern Kuril Islands early Wednesday following a powerful earthquake in the Pacific Ocean, prompting the evacuation of residents from the Russian coastal town of Severo-Kurilsk, regional officials have confirmed.







The first wave hit the shoreline of Severo-Kurilsk shortly after a magnitude 7.9 quake was registered near Kamchatka Peninsula, according to Sakhalin Region Governor Valery Limarenko.


The authorities ordered the evacuation of the town’s population, estimated at just over 2,500, to elevated areas away from the coast.


“Residents remain safe on high ground until the tsunami threat is completely lifted,” Limarenko said. Emergency services are working in high-alert mode, he added, and “all necessary measures are being taken to ensure public safety and restore normal life in the area.”







Footage shared by local media and officials shows water reaching parts of the shoreline and residents climbing to higher ground as tsunami sirens blared.


There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage, but the Alaid plant fish processing plant in Severo-Kurilsk has been submerged, with all employees urgently evacuated from the facility.







Drone footage of the flooded coastal areas of Severo-Kurilsk has been shared online by the Russian Geophysical Service.







A tsunami threat has been declared across the Kuril Islands following the earthquake off Kamchatka Peninsula, Elena Semenova, the head of the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk seismic station, told RIA Novosti.


The authorities in settlements across the island chain are monitoring the coastline and continuing evacuation efforts as a precaution. Emergency services remain on high alert.



Powerful earthquake in Russia’s Far East sparks tsunami alerts - Video



A tsunami warning has been issued for the coastal areas of Russia’s Far East, with hazardous waves also possible in Japan, Alaska and Hawaii, after a powerful earthquake struck off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula.


©Telegram



The quake, initially measured at magnitude 7.5, was registered around 11:30am local time on Wednesday, approximately 136km southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, according to the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The US Geological Survey (USGS) later assessed the tremor at magnitude 8.8.


“An absolute tsunami alert on the coast of Avacha Bay!” the Russian agency announced, warning of potentially hazardous waves along the Kamchatka shoreline.


The wave height is not large, but it is NECESSARY to move away from the coast. Under no circumstances should anyone approach the shoreline to observe the tsunami – this could be dangerous,” the Kamchatka branch of the Emergency Situations Ministry said.








Residents reported strong shaking during the initial tremors, which caused furniture to rattle, household appliances to fall, and car alarms to activate.


Walls collapsed at a kindergarten in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, according to videos from the scene, though no casualties have been reported. The Emergency Situations Ministry (EMERCOM) said the quake's intensity reached 8 points in parts of the city.








In the Kuril Islands, a tsunami threat was declared following seismic activity near Severo-Kurilsk, located on Paramushir Island. Sakhalin Region Governor Valery Limarenko confirmed that evacuations are underway in the area as a precaution.




















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